Weight Loss Blog Archives...
In the book "Slim for Life" by Dr. Gillian McKeith, I have found numerous tips for changing the way we eat that I agree with. Her theory is to stay away from diets and actually eat more. As we change the way we think about food, weight loss and better health will follow. She gives twenty tips for weight loss, and I will hit on a few of them. Many of them, I have discussed in previous blogs or on my weight loss page.
Eat more, not less: This will assist in speeding up your metabolism. If you don't allow your blood sugars to drop, you will help prevent bingeing. Of course, you want to make healthier choices before you up your food consumption!
Drink more water, but not during the meal: Many of us are chronically dehydrated. If you experience headaches, difficulty concentrating and fatigue, try drinking water before you reach for food. Your thirst and hunger signals can be backwards. Avoid drinking a lot with meals, because liquids will dilute the enzymes needed to break down your food.
Eat soup: This is a good way to assist you with eating too much with a meal - have your soup before the meal. Soups- if not too salty or processed - are great additions to the diet.
Reading further in the book Slim for Life by Dr. Gillian McKeith, I picked out some more tips on weight loss.
I continue to look for others perspectives on weight loss. I found some information that overlaps numerous other sources I have found, and summarizes what seem to be the biggest things that interfere with weight loss. In the book You Are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith, the author lists the biggest inhibitors to weight loss:
The list above incorporates many of the things that I work on with EDS. All of the items on the list point to an imbalance in the system. It is no wonder that people are unable to keep weight off. All diets will work in the short term, but the trick is to get the body into balance so with the right healthy changes, the body can keep the weight off.
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Today I am putting a different spin on the weight loss topic. For the next two weeks, many of us will be overwhelmed with huge meals, sweet foods, and unhealthy appetizers. I don't believe we have to give up all of these treats. It is possible to maintain or even lose weight at this time of year, if we are willing to make small changes in how we perceive food. Following is a list of small things that can be incorporated into the day to assist with keeping your health and weight at least status quo throughout the holidays (I believe that maintaining weight is a good plan until you have adopted healthy habits):
I checked out a bunch of diet books from the library that I have been scanning through looking for new and helpful information. I quickly became frustrated, and ended up going back to a book I have read a few times called "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross, M.A. I think we all know the basics of weight loss - eat less, exercise more. Julia Ross digs into what might be interfering with losing weight and keeping it off. I know that I am skipping from talking about chemicals, to going back to discussing weight loss, but I am going to go full circle and bring the two together! Julia Ross focuses on eight steps that are needed to rebalance our body chemistry so that we can not only lose weight, but balance our moods and food cravings at the same time. The eight steps of the program in "The Diet Cure" that I will go into more detail on later include:
* Correct brain chemistery imbalances, which cause anxiety, depression, and "emotional " eating.
* Ending low-calorie dieting, which results in problems with eating, mood, energy, and weight by depleting the whole body and brain.
* Balancing unstable blood sugar, which causes moodienss and cravings for sweets and starches and lead to adrenal exhaustion.
* Repair low thyroid function. Usually overlooked, low thyroid function is a common cause of weight and energy problems.
* Overcoming addictions to foods you are allergic to. These "allergy-addictors" can trigger powerful cravings for foods, along with many other problems, such as congestion headache and constipation. I would probably move this one to the top of the list, because I believe that food intolerances and sensitivities can destroy the best weight loss plan.
* Calm hormonal havoc, which can induce food cravings and weight gain, particularly during PMS and menopause. During this long Minnesota winter, depression and amino acid deficiency is also a trigger for weight gain.
* Eradicating yeast overgrowth, which can be triggered by antibiotics or cortisone, causing bloating and powerful cravings for sweets and starches. I would add parasites and bacteria to this category.
* Fix fatty acid deficiency, which can cause craving for rich, fatty foods. I also believe that a balance of all nutrients is beneficial for weigh loss.
The overall theme of this book is looking for overall balance in the system. Weight gain is a symptom of other problems in the body. That is why exercising more and eating less does not work for most people in the long run. Even if you are not trying to lose weight, balancing the eight areas above can be very beneficial to overall health and wellness. I will start at the top of the list tomorrow. On her web site, Julia Ross has a Quick Symptom Quiz that can give you direction as to what areas you need to focus on.
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If you had a chance to go to "The Diet Cure" web site and take the first part of the survey, you may have found that you could possibly be deficient in some amino acids. If you pursued that even further, you would find that there are many precautions with taking amino acids. There are definitely times that I recommend amino acids, but I carefully evaluate their use. Problems with brain chemistry can also be caused by heavy metals in the brain, lack of vitamins and minerals, too many excitotoxins in the brain (MSG and aspartame, and more.) According to "The Diet Cure", It can also be caused by inherited deficiencies of mood chemicals, prolonged stress, regular use of food such as refined sugars and flours and regular use of alcohol and drugs, and not getting enough protein. I, of course, would add the intake of corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup to this list. We are definitely doing our bodies a disservice by filling them with nonfoods and chemicals. You don't want to just treat the symptom with a supplement, you need to look at where your body is out of balance. This probably will require detoxification, diet changes, and looking at what the system needs to rebuild itself. If you feel that your brain chemistry is off, I would highly recommend educating yourself about what could be throwing your system out of balance. In Minnesota, at this time of year, it is worthwhile to determine if you have adequate amounts of vitamin D in your system (due to the lack of sunshine, most people in Minnesota are deficient). My main point here is that brain chemistry issues can definitely interfere with our ability to lose weight and affect our mood, but don't just treat the symptom, find out what is out of balance and make some lifestyle changes.
The second quiz in the book "The Diet Cure" By Julia Ross, M.A. is malnutrition from dieting. I am in agreement that many people cause more problems for themselves by dieting then if they tried to maintain and change their focus to health. Dieting can cause numerous nutriet deficiencies in the sytem, so when you go off of the diet, your body is starving for those nutrients, causing the vicious cycle of overeating and dieting. I would like to put a different spin on this - I believe that the majority of Americans are malnourished whether they are dieting or not. First of all, we cannot get all of the nutrients we need from our foods, even if we are eating a perfect diet, due to a lack of minerals in our soils (not to mention all of the chemicals and hormones etc. that have been added). Second of all, I don't know anyone who is able to eat a perfect diet. The majority of us live on the SAD (Standard American Diet) which further depletes our nutrients. Not only do we not get enough nutrients from eating the SAD diet of sugar, white flour, corn syrup, genetically modified soy and corn, etc., but many of the foods we choose deplete our minerals. For example, if you drink pop - regular or diet are both bad - you are leaching phosphorus and calcium from your system. You are adding either 10 tsp. of sugar, which causes inflammation, or aspartame which crosses the blood brain barrier. This causes malnourishment. When our bodies believe that they are malnourished, they hold on to fat because they don't know when real nutrients will be coming. We eat more, but are less nourished. In my mind, this is a very simple concept. We can't keep giving our bodies non foods and expect them to work like a well oiled machine. We are getting rusty and rundown. Another thing that can cause malnourishment, is food allergies or sensitivities. Dr. Ross hits on that in another section, so I won't get started on that one (but you can find info on my web site). So what can we do to be better nourished? A place to start is to evaluate your diet. Where can you get rid of white flour and sugar (including corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup). Get rid of trans fats. Add pure, clean water (don't drink pop). I believe that if you won't give up pop, you are not serious about your health or weight loss. (That could be a blog in itself) These changes will make a huge difference in both your physical and mental wellness. I also believe that 90% of people (probably more) need to supplement their diet. Everyone has different supplement needs, so I won't make a broad recommendation.
The third quiz item from the book "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross is blood sugar instability and stress. This is becoming a greater problem for people of all ages. There is actually a new syndrome called metabolic syndrome which has to do with blood sugar issues and high blood pressure. If you tend to carry weight in your stomach, you are probably more susceptible to blood sugar issues. As a society, we live on white flour products and different forms of sugar. Our bodies can only take so much before we either become resistant to insulin or even diabetic. Signs that your blood sugar is not stable can be cravings for sugar and alcohol, irritability, thirst, fatigue, and much more. There are supplements that can assist with sugar cravings. The best plan is to work towards changing your diet for the long term. Another side effect of blood sugar instability is adrenal exhaustion. If your adrenals are exhausted, there are numerous other symptoms that you may experience.
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Part of the third of the eight imbalances highlighted in "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross is adrenal exhaustion. Adrenal exhaustion can be a side effect of being over stressed for an extended period of time. Toxins make this even worse, as does a diet filled with sugar and carbs. The list of indicators for adrenal exhaustion is extensive, and I would guess that everyone has experienced some, if not many, of the symptoms listed. Some examples from "The Diet Cure" are as follows:
* Feeling of tiredness all the time
* Need for caffeine to get you going in the morning
* Tendency to get upset or frustrated easily
* Haven't felt your best in a long time
* Constant fatigue
* Sweet or salty cravings
* Dark circles under the eyes
* Inability to tolerate much exercise
* Feeling of not being rested upon awakening
The majority of the clients that I see initially have at least one of the above symptoms. What can we do for our adrenals? Because eliminating stress altogether isn't going to happen, I would recommend the following:
* Work on your diet - add fresh, whole foods, drink lots of water and eliminate junk, white flour and sugar.
* Exercise - if you experience a high stress situation - do a quick burst exercise to work off the adrenaline. I have no scientific evidence to support this, but it makes sense to me. If we were being chased by a lion, we would have to fight or run and use up the adrenal hormones and be done. These days we don't use up those hormones, we just continue to release them because we can't get a way from stress. Do a fast set of jumping jacks, run up and down the stairs, jump up and down, do interval training - something to quick burn off that energy so your body thinks that the danger is over. Then do deep breathing and find a way to remove some stress.
* Simplify your life. Go for long walks, quit spending money needlessly, focus on your health, spend time with people you care about - I think this recession is forcing people to move in this direction, and hopefully we will come out on the other side with a simpler lifestyle
* Yo yo dieting stresses the adrenals - work towards eating healthy for permanent weight loss
* Coffee, soda and alcohol stresses the adrenals, and many people turn to these beverages to keep them going when the adrenals are stressed. It becomes a cycle that is hard to break out of.
* I would guess that most, if not all, people with adrenal exhaustion will need supplementation. When we are under stress, we burn our nutrients even faster trying to survive the stressful situation. (recommendations vary for each person)
Start making small changes in your diet and lifestyle. Sleep is very important - if you find yourself waking up between 2-3 a.m. each night - this can be a sign of adrenal exhaustion. Stress generally is caused by worrying about the past or the future, which we cannot generally control. Work on dealing with what you can control in the moment. Stress in small amounts is actually good for us, it is when it becomes constant and overwhelming when our systems begin to suffer.
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The fifth item on the list of imbalances in "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross is food addictions and allergic reactions. I would include food sensitivities and intolerances in this section, also. It is worth taking this section of the quiz on "The Diet Cure" web site - www.dietcure.com . The majority of people that I work with experience a food intolerance or sensitivity of some kind. The biggest cuprits that I find are corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, soy, wheat, pasteurized milk and monosodium glutamate (MSG). If you experience reactions such as bloating, headaches, fatigue, irritability and more from an hour after you eat, up to days after you eat a food that you are sensitive to, it is time to eliminate that food from your diet for a while. The difficulty is that if you are sensitive to a food, you will most likely crave it when you try to give it up. This is because your body is trying not to go through withdrawal from that food (kind of in the same way that we get a hangover from too much alcohol). For example, if you are sensitive to sugar, your body will crave sugar so that you keep eating it and you keep it in your body. If you quit eating sugar, you may get a strong reaction initially - severe fatigue, headaches, etc. So what can you do? "The Diet Cure" recommends amino acids - I of course like to test what people are lacking. I really like L-Glutamine to assist with cravings, but it doesn't mean it works for everyone. It could be as simple as needing more water to remove toxins in the system. Some people need their liver fortified, or chromium to assist the pancreas. If you are able to eliminate a food that you are allergic or sensitive to, you may have some dramatic new positive side effects. For example, if you are able to eliminate corn syrup, if you are sensitive to it, you may have fewer seasonal allergies, bloating, tiredness, cravings, headaches, bladder infections and so much more. It is definitely worth finding out what foods are troublesome and working toward solutions to help you feel better
The seventh item on "The Diet Cure" list of imbalances is hormones. Hormones can alter the ability of males and females to lose weight. How do you know if hormones are an issue? Do you experience PMS, infertility, mood swings, depression - chances are hormones play a part. I don't believe that there is a quick fix to hormone issues. In our society, pesticides, plastics and chemicals all affect our hormones. Men are experiencing an overload of estrogens in their systems and females have imbalances of estrogen/progesterone/ and testosterone. This doesn't even take into account the hormones involved with your adrenal and thyroid glands. If you have concerns about your hormone balance, I would recommend having screenings done by your health provider. It is not necessary to suffer from PMS or mood swings. There are ways to feel better. I know I didn't provide very much information, but I don't think this is an area to try to fix on your own. You can definitely work to improve your diet and exercise routines, because these good habits will assist with bringing your hormones back into balance.
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I wanted to add more information on kicking up metabolism. A few tips that I have picked up from reading numerous books are as follows (most are pretty basic and well known):
When we feel good, we have more energy and burn more calories. The more balanced the system, the easier it is to maintain a healthy weight.
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I started a book called "Crack the Fat-Loss Code" by Wendy Chant. I am not too far into it, but I have found numerous tips and facts that I thought were helpful. Listed below are some of those facts and tips:
* One in three Americans will develop cancer; some 80 percent of cancers are related to diet.
* Life expectancy decreases by six months for every pound by which a person is overweight.
* Quality of life is the key to healthy living, and that's because our bodies and minds are inextricably linked.
* You need to take in quality proteins throughout the day - protein is used immediately for energy production.
* Trans-fatty acids may help preserve food so that it tastes good, but your body can't break them down and use them correctly.
* Excess protein in the system can be turned into fat.
It is important to get the proper balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins to keep the system working at its optimum level. If you live on the standard American diet, you most likely are getting an overabundance of carbohydrates and bad fats and proteins.
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In the book, "Crack the Fat-Loss Code" by Wendy Chant, the author gives five steps for not only weight loss, but also for improved health.
1. Protect and Support Muscle: For every pound of muscle on your body, you burn twenty to thirty calories in the course of a day without activity. For every pound of fat, you burn just four to five calories. Because our bodies are programmed to plan for starvation, we will burn muscle first when the body needs energy, and the fat will be protected. The author's recommendation is to never skip meals, so that the body doesn't go into starvation mode which causes it to burn muscle.
2. Level Blood Sugar: Increased levels of blood sugar promote fat storage; balanced blood sugar levels make the body capable of using stored fatty acids as a source of energy. In general, high or low blood sugars stress our health. The author recommends high quality carbs throughout the day to help maintain blood sugar levels. High glycemic foods will raise the blood sugar levels. Large meals also cause issue because the body sends out too much insulin to break down the meal - which actually makes us hungry faster.
3. Create an Energy Deficit: The body stores its energy in fat cells. In order to release that energy the author recommends reducing calories and exercising - which aren't new theories. By reducing the amount of calories you eat, you provide less energy for the body to store. By alternating not only the amount of food you eat, but also the types of macronutrients, you make sure that the body never gets a chance to adapt. I recommend making sure that you don't go hungry - it is very easy to reduce calories but actually eat more by making sure your diet consists of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, seeds, nuts and lean proteins. Exercise also uses energy, so we can create a second type of energy deficit by moving our bodies more actively, more often.
4. Produce Heat: To keep your body from reacting to a long period of going without food, thus shutting off your body's thermostat (and slowing down your metabolic rate and thyroid function,...instead provide regular intervals of eating five to six meals throughout your day. This way, your body doesn't go into "survival mode" and send a red alert to your hormones to store more fat as a preventive measure.
5. Manipulate Energy Stores: This step involves timing when we ingest fats, carbs and proteins for the best use of energy in our systems. This step is more involved, so I will try to add info in a later blog.
Overall, this plan is different than other weight loss plans because it focuses on fat loss rather than weight loss. Many times we focus on how many pounds lost rather than how our clothes fit or how we feel. The overall goal of any plan should be improving health and energy levels which then improve the quality of life.
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Back to the book "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman. As I get further into the book, the author recommends a way of eating that not only helps improve health, but also leads to weight loss. The ideas appear obvious and simple, but yet, we choose to continue to eat junk food and foods that don't improve our health. Our systems need nutrients to support our organs that are working hard to process the chemicals and other toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Following are some of the tips that Mark Bittman gives to improve not only diet, but overall health:
* Eating every time you feel hungry is the equivalent of sleeping every time you feel tired.
* No matter what your diet, as long as it isn't based on junk food, you'll receive adequate nutrition. (I think it is possible to get adequate nutrition, but in order to get optimum nutrition, more steps need to be taken - organic foods, vitamin supplements, plant based diet, etc.)
* Simple carbohydrates are at best useless calories and at worst damaging.
* Your body can scarcely tell the difference between white flour and white sugar. (This means that your body quickly releases insulin to deal with either one).
* Large amounts of fructose (high fructose corn syrup) seem to stimulate hepatic lipogenesis, the liver's ability to make fat. And if you eat too much fructose, the liver becomes even better at doing so.
* Worse, it appears that the more fructose you eat, the hungrier you feel.
* Furthermore, it appears that too much fructose and glucose in the diet may disable the body's ability to regulate testosterone and estrogen levels (leading to an increased risk of acne, infertility, ovarian cysts, cardiovascular disease, and uterine cancer in overweight women).
* Each American eats an average of one cup of sugar a day.
* Once you limit processed foods, refined carbs, and animal products, fat becomes nearly a nonissue.
The author recommends eating locally over eating organic foods. In general, I agree with this theory, but in Minnesota, eating locally in the winter is nearly impossible. Even in the summer, with farmer's markets - it is good to question what methods of farming are used - pesticides are harmful whether they are local or from 2000 miles away.
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The final topic for now on overall health is metabolism and diet. Diet is an underlying theme for every topic that comes up. No matter what we do to improve our health, if our diet is unhealthy, we won't see a true improvement with our health, energy and metabolism. Our metabolism is controlled by our thyroid, digestive system, and how we use our nutrients. The thyroid can be easily thrown out of balance by chemicals and toxins in our environment. Our digestive system is affected by parasites, fungus, and unfriendly bacteria. If our digestive system is stressed, we don't absorb the nutrients that we need to sustain our energy. To improve all of the above areas, begin with whole, chemical free, and pesticide free foods. The body may need enzymes and friendly bacteria in order to use the nutrients from these healthful foods. The body also needs to be eliminating toxins on a daily basis, so the organs of elimination are not taxed. Overall, every cell, organ and system in our body works together to create health, so we need to focus on what our body needs to function well.
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This week I am reading a book called "The Core Balance Diet" by Marcelle Pick, MSN, OB/GYN NP. I like the premise of this diet program because it is looking at what is out of balance in the system that causes us to hold on to our weight. The main premise of the book is that stress is the underlying factor in throwing our systems out of balance. Generally, when we think of stress, we think of the everyday hassles that we are dealing with. The author's list of stressors to our bodies is more inclusive. Listed below are some of the common stressors that can lead to weight gain and that cause our systems to hold on to fat:
* Allergies
* Pollution
* Chemicals - in food, air, drinking water or personal products
* Chronic disease
* Less than eight hours of sleep per night
* Currently or constantly dieting
* Processed foods and trans fats
* Excess sugar, salt or animal products
* Overwork, working without breaks or multitasking
* Infections, viruses, or parasites
* Depression
* Tension at work or in a relationship
* Hormonal shifts
* Boredom
* Anxiety, guilt or fear
Of course there are large stressors, such as a death in the family or a divorce. If we begin to change our idea of stress, we can see that we are putting our bodies through more than they can effectively process in a day. This leads to the beginning of health issues and the need for our bodies to store fat. I will spend some time in upcoming blogs looking at how we can relieve the stress that our bodies are under.
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In the book "The Core Balance Diet", Marcelle Pick, MSN, gives six reasons why it is difficult for people to lose weight. The list includes digestive sensitivities, hormonal imbalance, adrenal imbalance, neurotransmitter imbalance, inflammatory issues, and detoxification issues. Beginning with digestive issues, Dr. Pick gives the following symptoms that may indicate that your digestive system is out of balance: Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, foul-smelling gas or stools, feeling foggy or lethargic after eating, cravings for certain foods or beverages, cravings for yeasty foods, felling ill when it is muggy or damp, and being prone to acne. Some people may experience one or two items from this list, while another may experience all of them, but either way, there are things that can be done to get the digestive system working more efficiently. First of all, it is important to pinpoint if there are foods that you are sensitive to and eliminate them from the diet for a while. Many people require friendly bacteria (probiotics) to balance the flora in the gut. Digestive enzymes are also very important in assisting our systems with getting all the nutrients that are needed form the foods that we eat. Most importantly, don't underestimate the importance of being regular - being regular means having one to three healthy bowel movements each day. If you are constipated, the toxins in your system may have to be recycled over and over again, causing stress in many of the systems and organs of the body.
I am pulling information from the book, "The Core Balance Diet" by Marcelle Pick. The second area that she highlights as a reason that we hold on to weight is hormonal imbalances. The following are some tell tale signs that your hormones may be out of balance: Irregular and heavy and periods, trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep, mood swings and cravings before period, cry easily, hair and skin are dry and coarse, heart palpitations, hot flashes, night sweats, low libido, loss of muscle, store weight around hips and thighs, tender breasts, and a history or PMS. Our hormones can be thrown out of balance by toxins in our environment, stress and by what Dr. Pick calls "toxic weight". Estrogen is stored in fat, so if we become too heavy, our estrogen/progesterone balance can be thrown out of whack causing hormonal problems. Also, if the liver is not working as efficiently as it should, our body recycles hormones that should be eliminated from the body. Another area of concern is if we have blood sugar or insulin resistance issues. According to Pick, "The equation is simple; the higher your glucose levels, the higher your levels of insulin, the more fat cells your body creates to store the extra glucose." As a society, we are ingesting way too much sugar which exacerbates this issue. Dr Pick also recommends eliminating refined carbohydrates (think white foods-bread, rice, sugar). Another recommendation is to limit caffeine in order to give the adrenals a break. Once again, it is all about finding a way to keep our bodies in balance and giving it the nutrients it needs to do its job.
The third area from "The Core Balance Diet", by Marcelle Pick is adrenal imbalance which follows closely with hormone imbalance. Dr. Pick gives the following symptoms of possible adrenal imbalance: Being always on the go and getting things done, exhausted and irritable a lot of the time, unable to relax, crash in the afternoon, only to get a second wind in the evening, crave salty foods, or crave sugar and can't stop eating it, light-headed and queasy in the mornings or when you get up too fast, find it difficult to wake up and or get out of bed, often feel anxious and don't know why, if you sit or lie down for a minute in a warm spot, you tend to fall asleep, and finally, need a sugar or caffeine jolt in the afternoon. The difficult part about balancing the adrenals is that they can be easily thrown out of balance again by the everyday stresses in our lives. Many of us load up on caffeine and sugar to try and counterbalance the fatigue that is caused by overworked adrenals, which actually makes our adrenals have to work even harder. The best thing that you can do for adrenal health is to stop multitasking. Evaluate your life and see where changes can be made. Slow down. Eat well. Investigate what supplements would be the most helpful for you and your adrenals. Sleep well...Go to a natural or general health practitioner to determine what can be done to support your adrenals. You don't have to feel fatigue all of the time.
The fourth area in the Core Balance Diet by Marcelle Pick is neurotransmitter imbalance. Neurotransmitters are the controllers of many of our moods - serotonin, dopamine, GABA - these all play a part in whether we suffer from depression, anxiety or sleep issues. According to Dr. Pick, the following are some signs that your neurotransmitters are out of balance: Binge-eating regularly, especially on carbs, not getting much pleasure out of most activities, drinking more alcohol than you used to, crave comfort food, feel tense, guilty, and anxious much of the time, feeling flat, unfocused, and empty much of the time, sleeping more or less than usual, moody, wanting to scream at everyone, worrying a lot eating makes you feel better, and a feeling of being stuck. When your neurotransmitters are in balance, you will have a feeling of calm and life is lived in moderation - when the neurotransmitters are out of balance, life is lived in the extremes. We eat, drink, and sleep in binges. This is the area that depression is a big factor in. If you are depressed, that definitely needs to be addressed by a health practitioner. If it appears that you may have a neurotransmitter imbalance, I would recommend working with a health practitioner to determine what supplements would be the most helpful for you. Once again, there is help for these imbalances that can help you feel better.
The fifth area from The Core Balance Diet by Marcelle Pick is inflammation. Inflammation is the culprit behind many of our ailments, including arthritis, allergies, gout, stomach issues, heart disease and weight gain. According to Dr. Pick, the following symptoms can be an indication of inflammation in the system: Weight gain around the stomach, prone to acne and skin rashes, high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, chronic headaches, under a lot of stress, injuries take a long time to heal, catch every bug that goes around, and having health issues such as fibromyalgia, type II diabetes, allergies or heart disease. Our bodies immune system uses inflammation to combat foreign invaders in our bodies. If you get a scratch, it will become inflamed to fight off the germs. In our bodies, if the inflammation becomes out of control, because of too much stress or the immune system having to work overtime, we begin to see the health issues so prevalent in our society - heart disease, arthritis, allergies and more. The foods that we eat and the stress that we are under can make the inflammation worse. A lack of essential fatty acids in the system can also lead to inflammation. Our standard American diet is the biggest culprit in the inflammation process - white flour, white sugar, alcohol and fried foods all lead to inflammation in the body. Exercise is beneficial in alleviating inflammation in the body. Bringing inflammation under control requires a lifestyle change for many, but is worth the long term benefits of better health.
The final area highlighted in the book The Core Balance Diet by Dr. Marcelle Pick is detoxification Issues. The overall meaning behind the six areas that are highlighted is that is very difficult to lose weight and to keep that weight off if your body is not working at an optimum level. Some of the indicators listed by Dr. Pick that may indicate that you have difficulties with detoxification are as follows: Being sensitive to medications, have a stuffy nose often, consume caffeine and/or alcohol on a daily basis, often constipated, eat too much junk food and candy, gaining weight, even though you are not overeating, have problem skin/rosacea, have five or more metal alloy fillings, very sensitive to chemical/environmental odors and perfumes, and get headaches when you go into certain stores or offices. Most likely, if you are having difficulty with detoxification, you are probably also experiencing symptoms from the five other areas highlighted by Dr. Pick. When our bodies are unable to detoxify properly, toxins build up leading to any of the above symptoms. One of the best things that you can do for your system is to make sure that you are having at least one bowel movement a day. When this is not happening, toxins are reabsorbed into the system which forces our organs to work harder in order to remove them. It is also important to support the liver, because the majority of the toxins we are exposed to are filtered by the liver. Most importantly, which also applied to all of the other areas, is to begin to change your overall lifestyle to move toward more whole foods, clean water, and refreshing sleep.
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In the book "Slim for Life" by Dr. Gillian McKeith, I have found numerous tips for changing the way we eat that I agree with. Her theory is to stay away from diets and actually eat more. As we change the way we think about food, weight loss and better health will follow. She gives twenty tips for weight loss, and I will hit on a few of them. Many of them, I have discussed in previous blogs or on my weight loss page.
Eat more, not less: This will assist in speeding up your metabolism. If you don't allow your blood sugars to drop, you will help prevent bingeing. Of course, you want to make healthier choices before you up your food consumption!
Drink more water, but not during the meal: Many of us are chronically dehydrated. If you experience headaches, difficulty concentrating and fatigue, try drinking water before you reach for food. Your thirst and hunger signals can be backwards. Avoid drinking a lot with meals, because liquids will dilute the enzymes needed to break down your food.
Eat soup: This is a good way to assist you with eating too much with a meal - have your soup before the meal. Soups- if not too salty or processed - are great additions to the diet.
Reading further in the book Slim for Life by Dr. Gillian McKeith, I picked out some more tips on weight loss.
- Be aware of stress eating. Anytime you find yourself reaching for something to eat when you are bored or stressed, try to find an alternative. Take a walk, do a hobby, read a book, etc.
- Eat slowly. Yep - this makes sense, but it is hard to do. Eating slowly allows you to better utilize the enzymes in your food and in your system. It also allows you to better appreciate what you are eating. Your brain is also more likely to get the signal that you are full if you are eating slowly.
- Be prepared - we prepare for everything else in our lives, but we don't do a great job of planning for our meals or for having things on hand for when we need a snack.
- Have your supplement needs evaluated. If you are deficient in B vitamins, enzymes, or other basic nutrients, you will have a difficult time losing weight.
- Go to bed early. The liver and gall bladder detox between the hours of 11 PM and 2 AM. Healthy livers help balance weight. Being tired slows the metabolism.
I continue to look for others perspectives on weight loss. I found some information that overlaps numerous other sources I have found, and summarizes what seem to be the biggest things that interfere with weight loss. In the book You Are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith, the author lists the biggest inhibitors to weight loss:
- Bowel problems
- Eating the wrong foods (the good old Standard American Diet!)
- Excessive food intake (can be attributed to not getting enough nutrients)
- Insulin imbalances
- Lack of enzymes (aren't able to utilize nutrients in foods)
- Lack of exercise
- Poor overall digestive function
- Mineral and vitamin imbalances and deficiencies
- Parasites or worms causing a voracious appetite (for you, and maybe for the worms!)
- Weak adrenals (Stress, stress, stress!)
- Poor eating habits (eating fast, not chewing thoroughly)
- Poor metabolic function (and low energy)
- Overburdened liver (unable to detox efficiently)
- Thyroid issues (tied to energy, metabolism and mood)
- Retaining water
- Weakened kidneys (important for getting rid of toxins)
- Overgrowth of yeast (can throw the whole system out of balance
The list above incorporates many of the things that I work on with EDS. All of the items on the list point to an imbalance in the system. It is no wonder that people are unable to keep weight off. All diets will work in the short term, but the trick is to get the body into balance so with the right healthy changes, the body can keep the weight off.
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Today I am putting a different spin on the weight loss topic. For the next two weeks, many of us will be overwhelmed with huge meals, sweet foods, and unhealthy appetizers. I don't believe we have to give up all of these treats. It is possible to maintain or even lose weight at this time of year, if we are willing to make small changes in how we perceive food. Following is a list of small things that can be incorporated into the day to assist with keeping your health and weight at least status quo throughout the holidays (I believe that maintaining weight is a good plan until you have adopted healthy habits):
- Add more vegetables to your diet
- Make a plan for sweets - what makes sense - one item a day? Two?
- Try to eat 80% healthy and maybe 20% not so great
- Drink more water
- Eat throughout the day - don't try to save up so you can eat a bunch at a party at night - this will slow your metabolism.
- Take digestive enzymes and probiotics to assist with digestion
- Don't stand by the snack table
- Make your own snacks so you can add healthier ingredients
- Pay attention to how eating a lot of junk can make you feel - for some people it can cause a hangover effect
- Think of your health over weight loss when reaching for junk food
- Slow down and appreciate the moment - enjoy the company you are with more than the food that is served
- Get rid of the guilt - it is a worthless emotion - if you want to make a change, take baby steps to get there, don't beat your self up for mistakes made.
I checked out a bunch of diet books from the library that I have been scanning through looking for new and helpful information. I quickly became frustrated, and ended up going back to a book I have read a few times called "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross, M.A. I think we all know the basics of weight loss - eat less, exercise more. Julia Ross digs into what might be interfering with losing weight and keeping it off. I know that I am skipping from talking about chemicals, to going back to discussing weight loss, but I am going to go full circle and bring the two together! Julia Ross focuses on eight steps that are needed to rebalance our body chemistry so that we can not only lose weight, but balance our moods and food cravings at the same time. The eight steps of the program in "The Diet Cure" that I will go into more detail on later include:
* Correct brain chemistery imbalances, which cause anxiety, depression, and "emotional " eating.
* Ending low-calorie dieting, which results in problems with eating, mood, energy, and weight by depleting the whole body and brain.
* Balancing unstable blood sugar, which causes moodienss and cravings for sweets and starches and lead to adrenal exhaustion.
* Repair low thyroid function. Usually overlooked, low thyroid function is a common cause of weight and energy problems.
* Overcoming addictions to foods you are allergic to. These "allergy-addictors" can trigger powerful cravings for foods, along with many other problems, such as congestion headache and constipation. I would probably move this one to the top of the list, because I believe that food intolerances and sensitivities can destroy the best weight loss plan.
* Calm hormonal havoc, which can induce food cravings and weight gain, particularly during PMS and menopause. During this long Minnesota winter, depression and amino acid deficiency is also a trigger for weight gain.
* Eradicating yeast overgrowth, which can be triggered by antibiotics or cortisone, causing bloating and powerful cravings for sweets and starches. I would add parasites and bacteria to this category.
* Fix fatty acid deficiency, which can cause craving for rich, fatty foods. I also believe that a balance of all nutrients is beneficial for weigh loss.
The overall theme of this book is looking for overall balance in the system. Weight gain is a symptom of other problems in the body. That is why exercising more and eating less does not work for most people in the long run. Even if you are not trying to lose weight, balancing the eight areas above can be very beneficial to overall health and wellness. I will start at the top of the list tomorrow. On her web site, Julia Ross has a Quick Symptom Quiz that can give you direction as to what areas you need to focus on.
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If you had a chance to go to "The Diet Cure" web site and take the first part of the survey, you may have found that you could possibly be deficient in some amino acids. If you pursued that even further, you would find that there are many precautions with taking amino acids. There are definitely times that I recommend amino acids, but I carefully evaluate their use. Problems with brain chemistry can also be caused by heavy metals in the brain, lack of vitamins and minerals, too many excitotoxins in the brain (MSG and aspartame, and more.) According to "The Diet Cure", It can also be caused by inherited deficiencies of mood chemicals, prolonged stress, regular use of food such as refined sugars and flours and regular use of alcohol and drugs, and not getting enough protein. I, of course, would add the intake of corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup to this list. We are definitely doing our bodies a disservice by filling them with nonfoods and chemicals. You don't want to just treat the symptom with a supplement, you need to look at where your body is out of balance. This probably will require detoxification, diet changes, and looking at what the system needs to rebuild itself. If you feel that your brain chemistry is off, I would highly recommend educating yourself about what could be throwing your system out of balance. In Minnesota, at this time of year, it is worthwhile to determine if you have adequate amounts of vitamin D in your system (due to the lack of sunshine, most people in Minnesota are deficient). My main point here is that brain chemistry issues can definitely interfere with our ability to lose weight and affect our mood, but don't just treat the symptom, find out what is out of balance and make some lifestyle changes.
The second quiz in the book "The Diet Cure" By Julia Ross, M.A. is malnutrition from dieting. I am in agreement that many people cause more problems for themselves by dieting then if they tried to maintain and change their focus to health. Dieting can cause numerous nutriet deficiencies in the sytem, so when you go off of the diet, your body is starving for those nutrients, causing the vicious cycle of overeating and dieting. I would like to put a different spin on this - I believe that the majority of Americans are malnourished whether they are dieting or not. First of all, we cannot get all of the nutrients we need from our foods, even if we are eating a perfect diet, due to a lack of minerals in our soils (not to mention all of the chemicals and hormones etc. that have been added). Second of all, I don't know anyone who is able to eat a perfect diet. The majority of us live on the SAD (Standard American Diet) which further depletes our nutrients. Not only do we not get enough nutrients from eating the SAD diet of sugar, white flour, corn syrup, genetically modified soy and corn, etc., but many of the foods we choose deplete our minerals. For example, if you drink pop - regular or diet are both bad - you are leaching phosphorus and calcium from your system. You are adding either 10 tsp. of sugar, which causes inflammation, or aspartame which crosses the blood brain barrier. This causes malnourishment. When our bodies believe that they are malnourished, they hold on to fat because they don't know when real nutrients will be coming. We eat more, but are less nourished. In my mind, this is a very simple concept. We can't keep giving our bodies non foods and expect them to work like a well oiled machine. We are getting rusty and rundown. Another thing that can cause malnourishment, is food allergies or sensitivities. Dr. Ross hits on that in another section, so I won't get started on that one (but you can find info on my web site). So what can we do to be better nourished? A place to start is to evaluate your diet. Where can you get rid of white flour and sugar (including corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup). Get rid of trans fats. Add pure, clean water (don't drink pop). I believe that if you won't give up pop, you are not serious about your health or weight loss. (That could be a blog in itself) These changes will make a huge difference in both your physical and mental wellness. I also believe that 90% of people (probably more) need to supplement their diet. Everyone has different supplement needs, so I won't make a broad recommendation.
The third quiz item from the book "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross is blood sugar instability and stress. This is becoming a greater problem for people of all ages. There is actually a new syndrome called metabolic syndrome which has to do with blood sugar issues and high blood pressure. If you tend to carry weight in your stomach, you are probably more susceptible to blood sugar issues. As a society, we live on white flour products and different forms of sugar. Our bodies can only take so much before we either become resistant to insulin or even diabetic. Signs that your blood sugar is not stable can be cravings for sugar and alcohol, irritability, thirst, fatigue, and much more. There are supplements that can assist with sugar cravings. The best plan is to work towards changing your diet for the long term. Another side effect of blood sugar instability is adrenal exhaustion. If your adrenals are exhausted, there are numerous other symptoms that you may experience.
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Part of the third of the eight imbalances highlighted in "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross is adrenal exhaustion. Adrenal exhaustion can be a side effect of being over stressed for an extended period of time. Toxins make this even worse, as does a diet filled with sugar and carbs. The list of indicators for adrenal exhaustion is extensive, and I would guess that everyone has experienced some, if not many, of the symptoms listed. Some examples from "The Diet Cure" are as follows:
* Feeling of tiredness all the time
* Need for caffeine to get you going in the morning
* Tendency to get upset or frustrated easily
* Haven't felt your best in a long time
* Constant fatigue
* Sweet or salty cravings
* Dark circles under the eyes
* Inability to tolerate much exercise
* Feeling of not being rested upon awakening
The majority of the clients that I see initially have at least one of the above symptoms. What can we do for our adrenals? Because eliminating stress altogether isn't going to happen, I would recommend the following:
* Work on your diet - add fresh, whole foods, drink lots of water and eliminate junk, white flour and sugar.
* Exercise - if you experience a high stress situation - do a quick burst exercise to work off the adrenaline. I have no scientific evidence to support this, but it makes sense to me. If we were being chased by a lion, we would have to fight or run and use up the adrenal hormones and be done. These days we don't use up those hormones, we just continue to release them because we can't get a way from stress. Do a fast set of jumping jacks, run up and down the stairs, jump up and down, do interval training - something to quick burn off that energy so your body thinks that the danger is over. Then do deep breathing and find a way to remove some stress.
* Simplify your life. Go for long walks, quit spending money needlessly, focus on your health, spend time with people you care about - I think this recession is forcing people to move in this direction, and hopefully we will come out on the other side with a simpler lifestyle
* Yo yo dieting stresses the adrenals - work towards eating healthy for permanent weight loss
* Coffee, soda and alcohol stresses the adrenals, and many people turn to these beverages to keep them going when the adrenals are stressed. It becomes a cycle that is hard to break out of.
* I would guess that most, if not all, people with adrenal exhaustion will need supplementation. When we are under stress, we burn our nutrients even faster trying to survive the stressful situation. (recommendations vary for each person)
Start making small changes in your diet and lifestyle. Sleep is very important - if you find yourself waking up between 2-3 a.m. each night - this can be a sign of adrenal exhaustion. Stress generally is caused by worrying about the past or the future, which we cannot generally control. Work on dealing with what you can control in the moment. Stress in small amounts is actually good for us, it is when it becomes constant and overwhelming when our systems begin to suffer.
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The fifth item on the list of imbalances in "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross is food addictions and allergic reactions. I would include food sensitivities and intolerances in this section, also. It is worth taking this section of the quiz on "The Diet Cure" web site - www.dietcure.com . The majority of people that I work with experience a food intolerance or sensitivity of some kind. The biggest cuprits that I find are corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, soy, wheat, pasteurized milk and monosodium glutamate (MSG). If you experience reactions such as bloating, headaches, fatigue, irritability and more from an hour after you eat, up to days after you eat a food that you are sensitive to, it is time to eliminate that food from your diet for a while. The difficulty is that if you are sensitive to a food, you will most likely crave it when you try to give it up. This is because your body is trying not to go through withdrawal from that food (kind of in the same way that we get a hangover from too much alcohol). For example, if you are sensitive to sugar, your body will crave sugar so that you keep eating it and you keep it in your body. If you quit eating sugar, you may get a strong reaction initially - severe fatigue, headaches, etc. So what can you do? "The Diet Cure" recommends amino acids - I of course like to test what people are lacking. I really like L-Glutamine to assist with cravings, but it doesn't mean it works for everyone. It could be as simple as needing more water to remove toxins in the system. Some people need their liver fortified, or chromium to assist the pancreas. If you are able to eliminate a food that you are allergic or sensitive to, you may have some dramatic new positive side effects. For example, if you are able to eliminate corn syrup, if you are sensitive to it, you may have fewer seasonal allergies, bloating, tiredness, cravings, headaches, bladder infections and so much more. It is definitely worth finding out what foods are troublesome and working toward solutions to help you feel better
The seventh item on "The Diet Cure" list of imbalances is hormones. Hormones can alter the ability of males and females to lose weight. How do you know if hormones are an issue? Do you experience PMS, infertility, mood swings, depression - chances are hormones play a part. I don't believe that there is a quick fix to hormone issues. In our society, pesticides, plastics and chemicals all affect our hormones. Men are experiencing an overload of estrogens in their systems and females have imbalances of estrogen/progesterone/ and testosterone. This doesn't even take into account the hormones involved with your adrenal and thyroid glands. If you have concerns about your hormone balance, I would recommend having screenings done by your health provider. It is not necessary to suffer from PMS or mood swings. There are ways to feel better. I know I didn't provide very much information, but I don't think this is an area to try to fix on your own. You can definitely work to improve your diet and exercise routines, because these good habits will assist with bringing your hormones back into balance.
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I wanted to add more information on kicking up metabolism. A few tips that I have picked up from reading numerous books are as follows (most are pretty basic and well known):
- Eat when you are hungry - if the endocrine system (thyroid, adrenals, hypothalamus) is stressed, we are sometimes given mixed signals as to when we are hungry or thirsty.
- Drink enough water to make sure your body is properly hydrated (about half your body weight in ounces each day) - your urine should run clear instead of dark yellow.
- Eat until you are satisfied, but not full. If we stuff ourselves, we release too much insulin, and end up feeling hungry again soon after our last meal.
- Limit the amount of beverage intake during a meal - if we drink too much during a meal, it reduces the enzyme strength in our system- which reduces our ability to break down our food properly.
- Do interval training - this boosts the strength of our mitochondria - which gives our bodies energy - which raises the metabolism
- Do strength training to improve muscle mass -muscle burns more calories and raises metabolism
- Eat whole, fresh (organic if possible) foods that nourish the body. The more processed and chemical filled foods we ingest, the more our bodies crave foods looking for the nutrients we need.
- It is OK to miss a meal once in a while (unless you have blood sugar issues), but skipping meals on a regular basis can put your body into starvation mode, causing the body to retain fat in case there is a famine. I generally advise people to eat more, rather than less. The trick is to only give your body real food.
- Make sure you are getting adequate sleep - that may not mean eight hours a night, it just means that you need to get quality sleep. Lack of sleep causes us to eat more for energy. It also makes us reach for caffeine and sugary foods for energy. Some caffeine is Ok, but too much causes adrenal fatigue, which decreases energy.
- Toxins can interfere with our ability to lose weight because they can stress the organs that are part of a healthy metabolism.
- Food sensitivities can slow the metabolism by making our bodies think that we need to store fat because we are not absorbing the nutrients from our foods as we should.
When we feel good, we have more energy and burn more calories. The more balanced the system, the easier it is to maintain a healthy weight.
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I started a book called "Crack the Fat-Loss Code" by Wendy Chant. I am not too far into it, but I have found numerous tips and facts that I thought were helpful. Listed below are some of those facts and tips:
* One in three Americans will develop cancer; some 80 percent of cancers are related to diet.
* Life expectancy decreases by six months for every pound by which a person is overweight.
* Quality of life is the key to healthy living, and that's because our bodies and minds are inextricably linked.
* You need to take in quality proteins throughout the day - protein is used immediately for energy production.
* Trans-fatty acids may help preserve food so that it tastes good, but your body can't break them down and use them correctly.
* Excess protein in the system can be turned into fat.
It is important to get the proper balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins to keep the system working at its optimum level. If you live on the standard American diet, you most likely are getting an overabundance of carbohydrates and bad fats and proteins.
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In the book, "Crack the Fat-Loss Code" by Wendy Chant, the author gives five steps for not only weight loss, but also for improved health.
1. Protect and Support Muscle: For every pound of muscle on your body, you burn twenty to thirty calories in the course of a day without activity. For every pound of fat, you burn just four to five calories. Because our bodies are programmed to plan for starvation, we will burn muscle first when the body needs energy, and the fat will be protected. The author's recommendation is to never skip meals, so that the body doesn't go into starvation mode which causes it to burn muscle.
2. Level Blood Sugar: Increased levels of blood sugar promote fat storage; balanced blood sugar levels make the body capable of using stored fatty acids as a source of energy. In general, high or low blood sugars stress our health. The author recommends high quality carbs throughout the day to help maintain blood sugar levels. High glycemic foods will raise the blood sugar levels. Large meals also cause issue because the body sends out too much insulin to break down the meal - which actually makes us hungry faster.
3. Create an Energy Deficit: The body stores its energy in fat cells. In order to release that energy the author recommends reducing calories and exercising - which aren't new theories. By reducing the amount of calories you eat, you provide less energy for the body to store. By alternating not only the amount of food you eat, but also the types of macronutrients, you make sure that the body never gets a chance to adapt. I recommend making sure that you don't go hungry - it is very easy to reduce calories but actually eat more by making sure your diet consists of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, seeds, nuts and lean proteins. Exercise also uses energy, so we can create a second type of energy deficit by moving our bodies more actively, more often.
4. Produce Heat: To keep your body from reacting to a long period of going without food, thus shutting off your body's thermostat (and slowing down your metabolic rate and thyroid function,...instead provide regular intervals of eating five to six meals throughout your day. This way, your body doesn't go into "survival mode" and send a red alert to your hormones to store more fat as a preventive measure.
5. Manipulate Energy Stores: This step involves timing when we ingest fats, carbs and proteins for the best use of energy in our systems. This step is more involved, so I will try to add info in a later blog.
Overall, this plan is different than other weight loss plans because it focuses on fat loss rather than weight loss. Many times we focus on how many pounds lost rather than how our clothes fit or how we feel. The overall goal of any plan should be improving health and energy levels which then improve the quality of life.
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Back to the book "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman. As I get further into the book, the author recommends a way of eating that not only helps improve health, but also leads to weight loss. The ideas appear obvious and simple, but yet, we choose to continue to eat junk food and foods that don't improve our health. Our systems need nutrients to support our organs that are working hard to process the chemicals and other toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Following are some of the tips that Mark Bittman gives to improve not only diet, but overall health:
* Eating every time you feel hungry is the equivalent of sleeping every time you feel tired.
* No matter what your diet, as long as it isn't based on junk food, you'll receive adequate nutrition. (I think it is possible to get adequate nutrition, but in order to get optimum nutrition, more steps need to be taken - organic foods, vitamin supplements, plant based diet, etc.)
* Simple carbohydrates are at best useless calories and at worst damaging.
* Your body can scarcely tell the difference between white flour and white sugar. (This means that your body quickly releases insulin to deal with either one).
* Large amounts of fructose (high fructose corn syrup) seem to stimulate hepatic lipogenesis, the liver's ability to make fat. And if you eat too much fructose, the liver becomes even better at doing so.
* Worse, it appears that the more fructose you eat, the hungrier you feel.
* Furthermore, it appears that too much fructose and glucose in the diet may disable the body's ability to regulate testosterone and estrogen levels (leading to an increased risk of acne, infertility, ovarian cysts, cardiovascular disease, and uterine cancer in overweight women).
* Each American eats an average of one cup of sugar a day.
* Once you limit processed foods, refined carbs, and animal products, fat becomes nearly a nonissue.
The author recommends eating locally over eating organic foods. In general, I agree with this theory, but in Minnesota, eating locally in the winter is nearly impossible. Even in the summer, with farmer's markets - it is good to question what methods of farming are used - pesticides are harmful whether they are local or from 2000 miles away.
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The final topic for now on overall health is metabolism and diet. Diet is an underlying theme for every topic that comes up. No matter what we do to improve our health, if our diet is unhealthy, we won't see a true improvement with our health, energy and metabolism. Our metabolism is controlled by our thyroid, digestive system, and how we use our nutrients. The thyroid can be easily thrown out of balance by chemicals and toxins in our environment. Our digestive system is affected by parasites, fungus, and unfriendly bacteria. If our digestive system is stressed, we don't absorb the nutrients that we need to sustain our energy. To improve all of the above areas, begin with whole, chemical free, and pesticide free foods. The body may need enzymes and friendly bacteria in order to use the nutrients from these healthful foods. The body also needs to be eliminating toxins on a daily basis, so the organs of elimination are not taxed. Overall, every cell, organ and system in our body works together to create health, so we need to focus on what our body needs to function well.
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This week I am reading a book called "The Core Balance Diet" by Marcelle Pick, MSN, OB/GYN NP. I like the premise of this diet program because it is looking at what is out of balance in the system that causes us to hold on to our weight. The main premise of the book is that stress is the underlying factor in throwing our systems out of balance. Generally, when we think of stress, we think of the everyday hassles that we are dealing with. The author's list of stressors to our bodies is more inclusive. Listed below are some of the common stressors that can lead to weight gain and that cause our systems to hold on to fat:
* Allergies
* Pollution
* Chemicals - in food, air, drinking water or personal products
* Chronic disease
* Less than eight hours of sleep per night
* Currently or constantly dieting
* Processed foods and trans fats
* Excess sugar, salt or animal products
* Overwork, working without breaks or multitasking
* Infections, viruses, or parasites
* Depression
* Tension at work or in a relationship
* Hormonal shifts
* Boredom
* Anxiety, guilt or fear
Of course there are large stressors, such as a death in the family or a divorce. If we begin to change our idea of stress, we can see that we are putting our bodies through more than they can effectively process in a day. This leads to the beginning of health issues and the need for our bodies to store fat. I will spend some time in upcoming blogs looking at how we can relieve the stress that our bodies are under.
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In the book "The Core Balance Diet", Marcelle Pick, MSN, gives six reasons why it is difficult for people to lose weight. The list includes digestive sensitivities, hormonal imbalance, adrenal imbalance, neurotransmitter imbalance, inflammatory issues, and detoxification issues. Beginning with digestive issues, Dr. Pick gives the following symptoms that may indicate that your digestive system is out of balance: Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, foul-smelling gas or stools, feeling foggy or lethargic after eating, cravings for certain foods or beverages, cravings for yeasty foods, felling ill when it is muggy or damp, and being prone to acne. Some people may experience one or two items from this list, while another may experience all of them, but either way, there are things that can be done to get the digestive system working more efficiently. First of all, it is important to pinpoint if there are foods that you are sensitive to and eliminate them from the diet for a while. Many people require friendly bacteria (probiotics) to balance the flora in the gut. Digestive enzymes are also very important in assisting our systems with getting all the nutrients that are needed form the foods that we eat. Most importantly, don't underestimate the importance of being regular - being regular means having one to three healthy bowel movements each day. If you are constipated, the toxins in your system may have to be recycled over and over again, causing stress in many of the systems and organs of the body.
I am pulling information from the book, "The Core Balance Diet" by Marcelle Pick. The second area that she highlights as a reason that we hold on to weight is hormonal imbalances. The following are some tell tale signs that your hormones may be out of balance: Irregular and heavy and periods, trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep, mood swings and cravings before period, cry easily, hair and skin are dry and coarse, heart palpitations, hot flashes, night sweats, low libido, loss of muscle, store weight around hips and thighs, tender breasts, and a history or PMS. Our hormones can be thrown out of balance by toxins in our environment, stress and by what Dr. Pick calls "toxic weight". Estrogen is stored in fat, so if we become too heavy, our estrogen/progesterone balance can be thrown out of whack causing hormonal problems. Also, if the liver is not working as efficiently as it should, our body recycles hormones that should be eliminated from the body. Another area of concern is if we have blood sugar or insulin resistance issues. According to Pick, "The equation is simple; the higher your glucose levels, the higher your levels of insulin, the more fat cells your body creates to store the extra glucose." As a society, we are ingesting way too much sugar which exacerbates this issue. Dr Pick also recommends eliminating refined carbohydrates (think white foods-bread, rice, sugar). Another recommendation is to limit caffeine in order to give the adrenals a break. Once again, it is all about finding a way to keep our bodies in balance and giving it the nutrients it needs to do its job.
The third area from "The Core Balance Diet", by Marcelle Pick is adrenal imbalance which follows closely with hormone imbalance. Dr. Pick gives the following symptoms of possible adrenal imbalance: Being always on the go and getting things done, exhausted and irritable a lot of the time, unable to relax, crash in the afternoon, only to get a second wind in the evening, crave salty foods, or crave sugar and can't stop eating it, light-headed and queasy in the mornings or when you get up too fast, find it difficult to wake up and or get out of bed, often feel anxious and don't know why, if you sit or lie down for a minute in a warm spot, you tend to fall asleep, and finally, need a sugar or caffeine jolt in the afternoon. The difficult part about balancing the adrenals is that they can be easily thrown out of balance again by the everyday stresses in our lives. Many of us load up on caffeine and sugar to try and counterbalance the fatigue that is caused by overworked adrenals, which actually makes our adrenals have to work even harder. The best thing that you can do for adrenal health is to stop multitasking. Evaluate your life and see where changes can be made. Slow down. Eat well. Investigate what supplements would be the most helpful for you and your adrenals. Sleep well...Go to a natural or general health practitioner to determine what can be done to support your adrenals. You don't have to feel fatigue all of the time.
The fourth area in the Core Balance Diet by Marcelle Pick is neurotransmitter imbalance. Neurotransmitters are the controllers of many of our moods - serotonin, dopamine, GABA - these all play a part in whether we suffer from depression, anxiety or sleep issues. According to Dr. Pick, the following are some signs that your neurotransmitters are out of balance: Binge-eating regularly, especially on carbs, not getting much pleasure out of most activities, drinking more alcohol than you used to, crave comfort food, feel tense, guilty, and anxious much of the time, feeling flat, unfocused, and empty much of the time, sleeping more or less than usual, moody, wanting to scream at everyone, worrying a lot eating makes you feel better, and a feeling of being stuck. When your neurotransmitters are in balance, you will have a feeling of calm and life is lived in moderation - when the neurotransmitters are out of balance, life is lived in the extremes. We eat, drink, and sleep in binges. This is the area that depression is a big factor in. If you are depressed, that definitely needs to be addressed by a health practitioner. If it appears that you may have a neurotransmitter imbalance, I would recommend working with a health practitioner to determine what supplements would be the most helpful for you. Once again, there is help for these imbalances that can help you feel better.
The fifth area from The Core Balance Diet by Marcelle Pick is inflammation. Inflammation is the culprit behind many of our ailments, including arthritis, allergies, gout, stomach issues, heart disease and weight gain. According to Dr. Pick, the following symptoms can be an indication of inflammation in the system: Weight gain around the stomach, prone to acne and skin rashes, high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, chronic headaches, under a lot of stress, injuries take a long time to heal, catch every bug that goes around, and having health issues such as fibromyalgia, type II diabetes, allergies or heart disease. Our bodies immune system uses inflammation to combat foreign invaders in our bodies. If you get a scratch, it will become inflamed to fight off the germs. In our bodies, if the inflammation becomes out of control, because of too much stress or the immune system having to work overtime, we begin to see the health issues so prevalent in our society - heart disease, arthritis, allergies and more. The foods that we eat and the stress that we are under can make the inflammation worse. A lack of essential fatty acids in the system can also lead to inflammation. Our standard American diet is the biggest culprit in the inflammation process - white flour, white sugar, alcohol and fried foods all lead to inflammation in the body. Exercise is beneficial in alleviating inflammation in the body. Bringing inflammation under control requires a lifestyle change for many, but is worth the long term benefits of better health.
The final area highlighted in the book The Core Balance Diet by Dr. Marcelle Pick is detoxification Issues. The overall meaning behind the six areas that are highlighted is that is very difficult to lose weight and to keep that weight off if your body is not working at an optimum level. Some of the indicators listed by Dr. Pick that may indicate that you have difficulties with detoxification are as follows: Being sensitive to medications, have a stuffy nose often, consume caffeine and/or alcohol on a daily basis, often constipated, eat too much junk food and candy, gaining weight, even though you are not overeating, have problem skin/rosacea, have five or more metal alloy fillings, very sensitive to chemical/environmental odors and perfumes, and get headaches when you go into certain stores or offices. Most likely, if you are having difficulty with detoxification, you are probably also experiencing symptoms from the five other areas highlighted by Dr. Pick. When our bodies are unable to detoxify properly, toxins build up leading to any of the above symptoms. One of the best things that you can do for your system is to make sure that you are having at least one bowel movement a day. When this is not happening, toxins are reabsorbed into the system which forces our organs to work harder in order to remove them. It is also important to support the liver, because the majority of the toxins we are exposed to are filtered by the liver. Most importantly, which also applied to all of the other areas, is to begin to change your overall lifestyle to move toward more whole foods, clean water, and refreshing sleep.
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